Katya Yonder – ‘Cure’ album review: An ethereal blend of the old and the new
THE SKINNY: The intersection between music fans seeking soaring odes to baroque and classic Hollywood and those seeking pulsing beats and futuristic electronica might not be too sizable, but Russian-born multi-instrumentalist Katya Yonder is making music for those few people who do sit in the middle of that Venn diagram. For those willing to see the beauty in this collision of genres, her new album, Cure is an introspective and atmospheric experience that will leave you with the catharsis its title implies.
Yonder has been on the scene for almost a decade now, releasing her debut record, Ost Conditions, in 2016. Four albums in, she’s yet to attract the same widespread acclaim and cult followings as some other artists working in the same realm. But while her streaming numbers may be lower than the likes of FKA Twigs and Eartheater, her sound is no less entrancing.
Cure veers between the old and the new with ease. Katya’s vocals flit between angelic, layered laments about the human experience and confident rap verses, while the instrumentation around her pulls grand baroque strings together with strange synths, pairing plucked harps with pulsing beats. It’s a combination that probably shouldn’t work, but it just does.
While the soundscapes verge on otherworldly, Katya’s lyrics are consistently grounded. They’re intrinsically human, charting her experiences of loneliness and love, of hurt and heartbreak, and everything in between, each new question and each new theme pushing Katya to understand herself more. Though her stories are not always easy to make out, hidden under strange blends of electronics and strings, it’s easy to tell that they come from the heart.
Cure might be an acquired taste for those who struggle to understand the blending of sounds and eras, but this collision is exactly where Katya thrives.
For fans of: The opera and the occasional messy night out.
A concluding comment from FKA Twigs: “The perfect prelude to Eusexua.”
Cure track by track:
Release date: September 25th | Label: Métron Records | Producer: Katya Yonder
‘Si Vis Amari, Ama’: The word “ethereal” is often thrown about in modern music journalism, but album opener ‘Si Vis Amari, Ama’ is truly deserving of the descriptor. Twinkling synths and angelic vocals combine to beckon you into Katya Yonder’s sonic world. [3.5/5]
‘The One’: Katya’s vocals come ever so slightly more into view on ‘The One’, though they’re uncompromising in their heavenly nature. The first half of the track focuses entirely on her layered words as she longs for belief rather than grief. As the track goes on, it gains momentum, and her words become surrounded by pulsing drum beats and innumerable layers. [4/5]
‘Why’: Yonder quickly follows up the layered beats of ‘The One’ with a return to something softer on ‘Why’. Her voice climbs high over gentle harp plucks and soaring strings, and this time, it entirely commits to the celestial. But her lyrics are undeniably human, as she asks, “Why can’t it be simple for once?” [3.5/5]
‘Keep’: There’s no pressure to stay in one place on Cure. ‘Keep’ pushes Yonder back into a collection of rap-friendly beats and electronic swirls. For the most part, her vocals retain that elongated, ethereal quality, but she does try her hand at a quicker-paced, spoken verse, which she executes just as flawlessly. [4/5]
‘Blood’: The classical and the electronic collide on ‘Blood’ as Yonder pairs harp flourishes and xylophone chimes with textural, artificial layers. Neither feels out of place. In fact, the juxtaposition serves the emotions in Katya’s lyrics, which find her detailing the discomfort of feeling lost, of finding yourself in between, of feeling broken under a perfect sky. [4/5]
‘My Love’: There’s an eeriness to ‘My Love’ that the track title doesn’t quite prepare you for. Over a slightly off-kilter chord progression and the occasional slicing synth, Yonder sings, “Take me by the hand if you want to be my best friend,” with an unnerving tone to her words. It’s a song that’s easy to imagine fitting into the soundtrack for a thriller series like Killing Eve. [3.5/5]
‘Perfect Imperfection’: Yonder continues this feeling into the dread-inducing opening strings on ‘Perfect Imperfection’. The song tells the story of a girl living in her own world, navigating hurt and love between fluttery soundscapes. The track softens with time, building into something stronger and softer like the character it soundtracks. [3.5/5]
‘Unique’: Kicking against the classical, baroque leanings of the previous few tracks, Katya pushes herself back into more modern stylings with ‘Unique’. A gleaming synth line and a barely-there beat underscore her more confident, playful vocalisations. [3.5/5]
‘Short Romance’: A tiny interlude, a short sonic romance. [3.5/5]
‘Safe Place’: In a truly tender declaration of love, Katya sings of her intentions to share her safe place with her lover. Her words emulate wedding vows, promising to look out for them no matter what happens, while strings flutter around her words once more. [3.5/5]
‘Cure’: The title track might not act as the official end to Cure, but it does feel like the culmination of the record. Katya sheds off the previous eeriness, overconfidence, and occasional uncertainty in her voice, the ever-shifting instrumentation, for something clear and considered. “Now I know for sure,” she sings airily. [4/5]
‘I Am Me’: Katya delivers one more dose of focused electronica as Cure nears its conclusion. ‘I Am Me’ sits somewhere between FKA Twigs and Eartheater, with over-urgent synths and altered vocals. After an ethereal electronic start, the song falls into a comfortable beat and flow as Katya reaffirms her newfound confidence. [4/5]
‘Epilogue’: The final offering on Cure acts as an epilogue rather than a conclusion. ‘I Am Me’ ties up the sonic and lyrical themes of the album nicely, while ‘Epilogue’ feels like watching the credits roll. It’s cathartic and cleansing, allowing Katya’s vocals to wash over everything. [3.5/5]
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